With new year, a slew of new laws in California

Jan. 1, 2014

Updated Jan. 3, 2014 1:59 p.m.

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Who says government doesn't listen to its citizens? In this Aug. 13 file photo, actress Halle Berry urges lawmakers to limit the ability of paparazzi to photograph children of celebrities and public figures. The bill, by state Sen. Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles, left, was approved by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Jerry Brown. It is one of the more than 800 new laws to take effect Jan. 1. RICH PEDRONCELLI, AP

Who says government doesn't listen to its citizens? In this Aug. 13 file photo, actress Halle Berry urges lawmakers to limit the ability of paparazzi to photograph children of celebrities and public figures. The bill, by state Sen. Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles, left, was approved by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Jerry Brown. It is one of the more than 800 new laws to take effect Jan. 1. RICH PEDRONCELLI, AP

What's next for the transgender law?

A new law effective with the new year allows transgender students at California public schools to use the restrooms and locker rooms of the gender they identify with, but the statute's future is unclear due to a referendum seeking to overturn it.

Counties have until Jan. 8 to verify whether opponents of AB 1266 collected enough signatures for the ballot measure to move forward.

SACRAMENTO – Immigrants held for deportation after being arrested for a minor crime. Celebrities who confront a barrage of cameras while running errands with their children. Mountain lions that wander through cities.

Extra protections for these groups are among the changes included in hundreds of laws approved in 2013. Gov. Jerry Brown signed more than 800 bills passed by the Legislature, with most taking effect with the new year.

Those laws pertain to public school policies, gun control and liquor sampling at craft distilleries (it's now allowed). Schools are preparing to implement rules allowing transgender students to use the restroom or locker room of the gender they identify with, though the law could be suspended if a referendum to overturn it makes the ballot.

A number of high-profile laws affect immigrants, including the TRUST Act, which limits when local police can detain someone for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials. Only those charged with certain crimes, including violent felonies, can be held.

More than 98,000 Californians – including 9,800 from Orange County – have been deported under the federal Secure Communities program, though advocates say many of those were for minor offenses.

The Legislature “took the action that we need to see at the federal level,” said Jon Rodney, spokesman for the California Immigrant Policy Center. “I think that we really are opening a new era of inclusion.”

In Orange County, activists are attempting to spread the word about the new law so that those who come in contact with law-enforcement officers understand their rights. Erika Martinez of the Orange County Dream Team said her organization hopes that knowledge of the law will put pressure on the Sheriff's Department to properly enforce it.

Employers are now prohibited from threatening to report the legal status of immigrants who protest unfair work conditions. Another law gives all workers more safeguards when reporting violations of local regulations, not just state or federal rules breaches.

Employers also must allow domestic-violence victims time off to appear in court or seek treatment, give outdoor workers breaks to cool off when temperatures are high, and pay domestic workers extra for overtime hours.

Approved after several star-powered appearances at the state Capitol, another new law increases penalties for paparazzi or others who harass public figures and their children.

Actresses Halle Berry and Jennifer Garner appeared in Sacramento to urge approval of SB606, recounting how aggressive photographers shout and pursue them while attempting to capture lucrative pictures. New penalties include jail time and a fine of as much as $10,000.

California also will become a safer place for mountain lions. A new law prevents Department of Fish and Wildlife wardens from killing animals found roaming near homes unless they pose an imminent threat. The legislation from Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, was introduced in response to a December 2012 incident in which two mountain lion cubs hiding under a Northern California house were killed.

Among the other new state laws:

IMMIGRATION

Noncitizens who pass the bar exam and meet other requirements can receive a law license. (AB1024)

• Lawful permanent residents who are not citizens can serve as poll workers. (AB817)

Gun owners face several changes, including a ban on selling or buying kits that allow guns to shoot more than 10 rounds of ammunition before reloading (AB48). New regulations also lengthen the amount of time someone can be prohibited from owning guns after making a violent threat (AB1131), make it a crime to store a loaded firearm where a child could access it (AB231), and allow the state Department of Justice to compile information on long-gun purchases. (AB809)

Paroled sex offenders who remove devices that track their movements will be sent back to county jail for 180 days. (SB57)

Orange County homeowners associations can contract with cities or the county for police patrols of their privately owned streets. The legislation was drafted in response to traffic concerns from Coto de Caza residents. (SB298)

BUSINESS/LABOR

• Scalpers cannot use ticket-buying software to snatch up hundreds of seats to concerts and events.

(AB329)

Professional athletes will have to show they spent significant time working in California to be eligible for workers' compensation benefits. (AB1309)

Small distilleries can offer paid tastings of their beverages, just like wineries or breweries. (AB933)

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